Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Jill Sprecher

Writers:

Karen Sprecher (written by) &
Jill Sprecher (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lives of a lawyer, an actuary, a housecleaner, a professor, and the people around them intersect as they ponder order and happiness in the face of life's cold unpredictability.

Plot Keywords:

Happiness | Professor | Attorney | House Cleaner | Lawyer

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Matthew McConaughey	...	Troy
David Connolly	...	Owen
Joseph Siravo	...	Bureau Chief
A.D. Miles	...	Co-Worker
Sig Libowitz	...	Assistant Attorney
James Yaegashi	...	Legal Assistant
Dion Graham	...	Defense Attorney
Fernando López	...	Defendant (as Fernando Lopez)
Brian Smiar	...	Judge
Paul Austin	...	Bartender
Allie Woods Jr.	...	Cab Driver (as Allie Woods)
John Turturro	...	Walker
Amy Irving	...	Patricia
Barbara Sukowa	...	Helen
Rob McElhenney	...	Chris Hammond, Aspiring Medical Student

Also Known As:

13 Conversations (USA) (short title)
13 Conversations About One Thing (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief drug use.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | USA:R (certificate #38139) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Stonelock Pictures

Trivia:

The films story is inspired by two different head injuries that director Jill Sprecher endured.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The J & B Scotch that Troy drinks after he leaves the scene of the accident is too yellow and has a thin layer of foam on top - it looks more like ginger ale or something similar.

Quotes:

Walker: Why do you wanna be a doctor anyhow?
Chris Hammond: So I can help people.
Walker: How? By keeping them alive today so you can prolong their misery until tomorrow?

Movie Connections:

References Magnolia (1999)

Soundtrack:

Put on a Happy Face

Very interesting story

The structure of this film is familiar as we see different stories with characters that in some sort of way are connected to one another. The structure is reminiscent of a John Sayles film but this is top notch writing and character development. Directed by Jill Sprecher who also wrote the script with her sister Karen and has a number of very good actors who help raise the level of the material. The film seems to be about characters who make decisions then have to live with the consequences of their actions. Matthew McConaughey is a lawyer who after winning a big case and celebrating hits a woman (Clea DuVall) with his car and leaves the scene of the crime. John Turturro is a teacher who decides to have an affair. Alan Arkin gives the strongest performance in the film, which is no surprise. He works in an insurance office and must let someone go and decides it will be a man who is always happy. This has always irritated Arkins character. He simply cannot understand how anyone could be happy all the time. Later, he feels guilty about his actions and tries to get him another job at another company. Sprecher does a good job of keeping the script simple without going over the top to satisfy a more shallow audience. This is a film that gets more interesting when viewed on more than one occasion. Definitely a film that can be discussed at great lengths considering the realistic and flawed nature of each character.